Ball play racket, especially tennis racket

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a ball sport racquet, in particular tennis racquet, with a racquet frame, which is manufactured as one piece with a racquet head frame supporting the racquet strings and with a racquet neck or racquet shaft, wherein the racquet stringing is formed by crisscrossing strings or string sections forming a string bed and held on the racquet frame head.

The invention relates to a ball game or sport racquet, in particular atennis racquet, according to the preamble of claim 1.

The object of the present invention is to provide for a ball sport orball game racquet with improved playing characteristics. This object isachieved by a ball sport racquet according to claim 1. Furtherembodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

One exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below withreference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a ball sport racquet in the form of a tennisracquet;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view as a cross section of the main frame orracquet head frame in the area of the string-bearing element.

The tennis racquet depicted in the drawings and generally designated 1consists in the usual manner of an outwardly closed hollow frame orracquet frame, which forms a racquet head 2, a throat 3 comprising twobridges 3.1 and a racquet shaft 4 connecting to the throat 3. Theracquet head 2 features the stringing or striking surface 6 formed bycrisscrossing strings or string sections 6.1 on the part of the racquetalso referred to as the main frame or racquet head frame 5.

The entire racquet frame, i.e. the racquet head frame 5, the throat 3and its bridges 3.1 and the racquet neck or shaft 4 bearing the actualhandle 4.1 are all part of the outwardly closed one-piece hollow frame,which or the supporting structure of which is manufactured in the knownmanner from a fiber-reinforced plastic (e.g. prepreg material). In FIG.1, L designates the longitudinal axis of the racquet 1, which is alsothe axis of the racquet neck or racquet shaft 4 and is located in theplane of the stringing 6. In the depicted embodiment, the racquet 1 issymmetrical to said longitudinal axis L.

The special characteristic of the tennis racquet 1 consists in the factthat a plurality of rotation bodies or bearing elements 7 made of asuitable material, for example plastic, e.g. polyamide or POM and/ormetal, are provided on the racquet head frame 5. The bearing elements 7are provided with an eyelet-shaped section 7.1, which completelyencloses the respective bearing element for pivoted mounting, and with asection 7.2, which protrudes somewhat over the inner side of the racquetframe head 5 and is located approximately in the plane formed by thestringing 6.

In the depicted embodiment, a total of six bearing elements 7 areprovided on the racquet head frame 5, namely one bearing element 7 oneach side of the longitudinal axis L at the head area of the racquethead 2 opposing the throat 3 and at a certain distance from saidlongitudinal axis and two bearing elements 7 on each side of the racquethead 2, i.e. approximately in the center between the throat 3 and thehead area of the racquet head 2 located at a distance from said throat,wherein one bearing element 7 on one side of the racquet head 2 opposesone bearing element 7 on the other side of the racquet head in an axisdirection perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L.

In the depicted embodiment, the sections 7.2 of the bearing elements 7hold the strings or string sections 6.1 forming the stringing 6 in amanner resulting in two string sections 6.1 extending away from thesection 7.2 of each bearing element 7. In the simplest case, this isachieved by the fact that at least one through bore hole 8 is providedin each section 7.2 of each bearing element 7 for inserting and holdingthe string.

In the depicted embodiment, the racquet head frame 5 has, in the area ofthe bearing elements 7 on its outer area 5.1 and on the two transitionsto the inner area 5.2, a cylindrical outer geometry in relation to anaxis that is tangential to the course of the racquet head frame 5, asindicated in FIG. 2 by the radius R. On the remainder of the inner area5.2 the racquet head frame 5 is shaped at the bearing elements 7 in sucha manner that the outer geometry extends perpendicular to the plane ofthe stringing 6.

Each bearing element 7 has on its section 7.1 one opening 9, which formsa bearing surface bearing against the outer area 5.1 and which isadapted to the shape of this area, so that each bearing element 5 canpivot on the racquet head frame, namely on the axis that is tangentialto the course of the racquet head frame 5.

Outside of the bearing elements 7 the strings or string sections 6.1forming the stringing 6 are fastened to the racquet head frame in theusual manner, namely using cords or strands not depicted.

The racquet head frame 5, at least in the area where the bearingelements 7 are provided, at least on its outer surface, consists of agliding and non-wearing material, i.e. in the form of a coating made ofsuch a material. A suitable coating would be, for example, a PTFEcoating.

In order to mount the bearing elements 7 on the racquet head frame 5,they are made of two parts, i.e. divided in the area of their section7.1, as indicated by 10, so that each bearing element consists of oneouter section 7.1.1 and one inner section 7.1.2, which also comprisesthe section 7.2. After assembly, the two sections 7.1.1 are connectedwith each other in a suitable manner, for example by a screw and/orsnap-on connection.

In the depicted embodiment the bore hole 8 is a through hole, the axisof which is parallel to the longitudinal extension of the racquet headframe, so that the two string sections 6.1 extending away from therespective bearing element 7 are located to the side of section 7.2.Other designs are also conceivable. For example, it is also possible toprovide channels instead of the through hole 8, so that the stringsections 6.1 extend away from the face 7.2.1 of the respective bearingelement facing away from the racquet head frame 5. As can also be seenin FIG. 2, in the depicted embodiment the area, for example the borehole 8, where the respective strings are fastened to the bearingelements 7, is significantly offset radially from the turning or pivotaxis of the respective bearing element.

The essential advantages of the racquet 1 are the effective uncouplingbetween the stringing 6 and the racquet frame and a large-surfacetransfer of the force of the strings in the racquet frame. A furtheradvantage consists in the greater progression of the stringing 6 or ofthe string bed. For example, in the event of deflection of the bearingelements 7 when hitting a ball, this will automatically cause additionalelongation or tensioning of the strings or string sections 6.1. Thisenables the use of a lower string stiffness. Upon contact with the ball,the ball is initially absorbed by a softer string bed with lessdeformation of the ball, and the string bed progressively stiffens to anextreme degree with the increasing deflection of the bearing element 7.

A further essential feature is that the above advantages are achievedwith no weakening whatsoever and therefore no limitation of the strengthof the racquet head frame, since the racquet head frame is designed alsoin the area of the bearing elements 7 with the large cross sectionnecessary for strength and stiffness and no holes, notches or otherweakening of the racquet frame are necessary for mounting the bearingelements 7. A further essential advantage is that the outwardly closedhollow profile of the racquet frame is also maintained in the area ofthe bearing elements.

The invention was described above based on one exemplary embodiment. Itgoes without saying that numerous modifications and alterations arepossible without abandoning the underlying inventive idea upon which theinvention is based.

REFERENCE LIST

-   1 Ball sport racquet or tennis racquet-   2 racquet head-   3 throat-   3.1 throat bridge-   4 racquet neck or racquet shaft-   4.1 handle element-   5 racquet head frame-   5.1 outer section of racquet head frame-   5.2 inner section of racquet head frame-   6 stringing-   6.1 string or string section-   7 bearing element-   7.1, 7.2 section of bearing element-   7.1.1 outer section-   7.1.2 inner section-   7.2.1 face of section-   8 bore hole-   9 bearing hole in bearing element 7-   10 separating surface-   L longitudinal racquet axis

1. A ball sport or ball game racquet with one racquet frame, which is manufactured as one piece with a racquet head frame supporting the racquet stringing and with a racquet neck or racquet shaft, wherein the racquet stringing is formed by crisscrossing strings or string sections forming a string bed and held on the racquet frame head, wherein at least part of the strings or string sections forming the racquet stringing are held on at least one bearing element, which is provided so that it can pivot on the racquet frame head on an axis tangential to the course of the racquet frame head.
 2. The ball sport racquet according to claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing element encloses the racquet head frame on its outer surface with one eyelet-shaped section.
 3. The ball sport racquet according to claim 1, wherein the racquet head frame in the area of the at least one bearing element features a cylindrically curved outer geometry on the pivot axis of the respective bearing element at least on its outer side facing away from the racquet stringing on sub-sections connecting to said outer side or transition sections to the inner side of the racquet head frame facing the racquet stringing.
 4. The ball sport racquet according to claim 3, wherein the at least one bearing element forms a bearing surface that is adapted to the outer geometry of the racquet head frame.
 5. The ball sport racquet according to claim 1, wherein the connection between the bearing element and the at least one string section extending away from said bearing element is offset radially from a pivot axis of the bearing element.
 6. The ball sport racquet according to claim 5, wherein the pivot axis of the at least one bearing element is in the plane of the racquet stringing.
 7. The ball sport racquet according to claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing element is manufactured with two sections, namely of one outer section and one inner section, and that both elements form at least one opening enclosing the racquet head frame when assembled.
 8. The ball sport racquet according to claim 1, wherein the racquet head frame, at least in the area of the at least one bearing element, features an outer surface consisting of a gliding and/or non-wearing material.
 9. The ball sport racquet claim 1, wherein the racquet frame is a closed hollow frame.
 10. The ball sport racquet according to claim 1, wherein the racquet head frame, at least in the area of the at least one bearing element, is provided with a gliding and/or non-wearing coating, a coating made of polytetrafluoroethylene.
 11. The ball sport racquet according to claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing element is made of plastic, polyamide, or POM.
 12. The ball sport racquet according to claim 1, further comprising at least two opposing bearing elements, which are provided on the racquet head frame in an axis direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ball sport racquet.
 13. The ball sport racquet according to claim 12, wherein the at least two pairs of opposing bearing elements are provided on the racquet head frame in an axis direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
 14. The ball sport racquet according to claim 12, wherein the at least two bearing elements are provided on the racquet head frame on each side of the longitudinal racquet axis.
 15. The ball sport racquet according to claim 1, wherein at least two string sections extend away from the at least one bearing element. 